I Stand Alone
by Sabaye Leyr
Summary: Draco's not given the chance to have a normal year when Hogwarts is conquered by the Dark Forces and the students held hostage.Heroes come from unlikely places and sacrifices are made, but in the end, it's up to Draco. He learns that not even in the magic
1. Duck and Run

I Stand Alone   
written by Sabaye Leyr

Summary: Draco wants nothing more than to be left alone; for people to stop thinking he's a Death Eater or that he's suddenly mysteriously going to take a liking to Potter and the 'dream team'. He's not given the chance to have a normal year when Hogwarts is conquered by the Dark Forces and the students held hostage. Heroes come from unlikely places and sacrifices are made, but in the end, it's up to Draco. He learns that not even in the magical world are there completely happy endings. Also includes Harry-Draco fist fights, Rebellious!Narcissa, Actor!Remus, spandex, embarrassing photographs(provided by Sirius) and even a spot of snogging. 

Chapter One: Duck and Run 

~~~   
_Your voice is small and fading_   
_And you hide in the unknown_   
_And your mother loves your father_   
_Cause she's got no where to go..._

_Acoustic # 3 by The Goo Goo Dolls_

~~ 

The Great Hall was noisy during dinner, as it always was. It was a cool, crisp Autumn day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The leaves were turning gold and red, and training was in session for the Winter Quidditch game. It was Slytherin verses Ravenclaw, hardly one of the most anticipated Quidditch games, but nonetheless everyone on all the teams were training hard. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had practiced the day before, which meant that the pitch was open for Gryffindors and Slytherins. 

Which is why Draco Malfoy was shovelling down lunch, his eyes flicking over to the Gryffindor table every few seconds. This year, Draco Malfoy had slowly faded out of the spotlight. Along with Harry Potter and his friends, Draco had been one of the most focused upon students during the past two years. He was glad that his popularity had decreased somewhat; it was disturbing being stalked by numerous people at the same time. 

This year, he was determined he'd beat Harry Potter, even if he got the Snitch and lost the Quidditch game. So he was trying to beat Potter to the Quidditch pitch. He also wanted to get onto it as soon as possible, so daylight wouldn't run out on him. 

Draco turned to face Pansy Parkinson, who had made a disgusted noise. Draco raised an eyebrow and carefully surveyed his classmate. She was wearing bright pink today; her short dark hair was tied in a loose bun. 

"Why are you looking at the Gryffindor table?" Pansy asked him, narrowing her bland grey-brown eyes. Draco blinked. 

"I'm making sure I'm eating faster than Potter," he told her slowly, explaining the obvious. Pansy kept staring at him suspiciously. 

"So I can get to the Quidditch pitch before his team does..." he clarified. Pansy nodded, finally understanding. She still looked suspicious, like he'd made a stupid excuse for something. Draco sighed. 

"Spit it out, Pansy. What do you want to ask me?" Draco said impatiently, his voice sharp. He was used to getting a daily interrogation from the seventeen year old at one mealtime a day. Today, Pansy seemed to have chosen dinnertime. Usually she bothered him at lunch, but not today. 

"You're not in love with Granger, are you?" She blurted out, sending a nasty look to the dark haired Gryffindor. Draco stared at Pansy for a moment, surprised at the question. 

"No, Pansy, I'm not," He told her, turning back to his food, slightly annoyed. 

"Are you in love with Weasley?" Pansy continued. Draco blinked again. 

"No, neither one of them," 

"Lavender Brown? Parvati Patil?" 

"No, and no..." 

"Potter?" 

"_Hell no!" _Draco exclaimed so vehemently that several of the Slytherins on the other end of the table turned to look at him. Draco glared at them and they returned to their business. 

"Well, everyone's saying that you're secretly in love with one of the Gryffindors; and that you're best friends with Potter..." Pansy had scooted farther down the bench, towards a sixth year named Nathan. Draco frowned deeply. 

"What inspired this?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes. Pansy shrugged. 

"So, you're not secretly shagging Weasley?" she asked meekly, trying to look innocent. She wasn't doing a very good job of it. 

"No, Pansy. But I am secretly involved with Finnigan. In fact, as soon as we graduate, we're getting married," Draco said sarcastically, dropping his fork. He stood up and straightened his cloak, then stepped over the bench. He strode across the hall and picked up his broom. 

He chanced a look back. Pansy was staring at him, her mouth open slightly. Draco wasn't sure whether she'd believed him or not. Rolling his eyes, he pulled open the doors and headed outside. 

The wind was faintly scented and biting as it whipped around him. Draco shook his silvery hair out of his face and strode across the grounds. 

It had gotten unusually cold that afternoon; the grounds were quiet. It was odd. Here and there an animal would scamper across the ground, or a tortured cry would come from the Forbidden Forest. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself and peered over the lake. He could sense something was wrong. Draco decided to ignore it and continue practicing. 

The Quidditch pitch was abandoned and echoey. Draco smiled faintly and mounted his broom. Taking a deep breath, Draco kicked off the ground and soared into the air. 

The wind beat against his cheeks and made his eyes sting but he kept flying. He could see the Gryffindors crossing the grounds, followed by Nathan and two other Slytherin team members. 

The laughs and noise of the Gryffindors echoed loudly off of the walls of the Stadium as they made their way onto the grassy pitch. 

"Potter!" Draco shouted, tilting his broom down and speeding towards the group. Potter looked up just in time to see the blond boy shoot over his head by about an inch. Harry dropped to his knees to miss getting clobbered by the broomstick. 

"Malfoy, you wanker! What are you doing?" Potter exclaimed, glaring up at Draco, who'd stopped in midair. Draco smirked. 

"Coming to talk to you, Potter. I was here before you, the pitch is the Slytherin team's until dark. You can come back after then, but I'd doubt you'd want to," Draco drawled, floating in mid-air and peering down at Harry. He'd always been an inch or two taller than Potter, but it was nice to force the raven haired boy to look up at him. 

"Malfoy, our whole team is here. It's just you; We get the pitch," The fifth year chaser, Avrin, said snappily, his ice blue eyes annoyed. Draco rolled his eyes. 

"Actually, Gryffindor, he's not the only Slytherin on the pitch," Nathan pointed out, coming to stand behind Avrin. Charles Smolsky and Blaise Zabini, a beater and a chaser, were standing on the Slytherin side of the stadium. Draco nodded to Nathan. He didn't like the younger boy much, but it was useful to have him there. 

"Why don't we share the pitch? Gryffindor verses Slytherin," came a small voice from the back of the group of Gryffindors. Draco's head turned, and he found himself looking at Ginny Weasley. His lips curled into a sneer. 

"You would suggest that, wouldn't you, Weasley? How about...no?" He spat, glaring at the redhead with superiority. She flicked him off. 

Draco was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected that from the small, quiet spoken girl. He opened his mouth to make another withering comment, when a dark feeling rose in his gut. Something was completely and indescribably wrong. His mouth closed and his brow furrowed. 

"Can you hear that?" Avrin suddenly asked, turning to face Harry. The wind whipped his long brown hair around his face. He impatiently brushed it away. 

"It's too quiet," Nathan said in a rare moment of insight. The silence was deafening, and then as suddenly as it began, it was gone. The silence was suddenly replaced with the sound of feet walking softly on fallen leaves. Faint crunches and mutterings were drifting over the grounds. 

In one smooth movement, Harry jumped onto his broom and rose into the air, straightening his glasses. Draco was right behind him, eyes narrowed in confusion and suspicion. 

Avrin, Ginny, the four other Gryffindors and the three Slytherins mounted their brooms and shot upwards, the house rivalry and pitch possession quickly forgotten. 

Draco could see dark shapes moving around the grounds and the Forbidden Forest. They were hooded, and there had to be fifty or more. Occasionally one would move their arm in such a way that their robes were lifted up to their elbows. Draco's sharp gray eyes could see a glowing green mark burned into their forearms. 

A skull with a snake slithering from it's mouth. 

One of them seemed to sense that he was being watched, and he turned to look at the Quidditch pitch. Draco found himself looking into identical gray eyes. 

"No," Draco whispered, shaking his head. Curses began to run through his mind. He tightened his right hand around the broom handle as his left went to his robes to pull out his wand. 

"Death Eaters!" Avrin hissed, his eyes wide. Casey, a third year Beater on the Gryffindor team, quickly shushed him. 

The identical gray eyes of the man across the field narrowed, and he raised his wand arm. The other Death Eaters close to the man quickly moved in, doing the same. 

Immediately, Draco tensed up. Harry, who also knew something was wrong, was gripping his broom handle with white-knuckled hands. The gray-eyed Death Eater grinned wickedly and flicked his wand hand. The others did the same. 

Draco motioned for everyone to start lowering themselves to the ground. Nathan, Blaise and Charles immediately began to do so. The Gryffindors, however, ignored Draco and looked expectantly at Harry. 

"Listen, dammit! They've already seen us--" Draco exploded, but was cut off by a deafening roar. He swung his broom around, but saw nothing. What were they doing? 

His question was answered when the ground behind the far side of the Quidditch Pitch exploded, sending dirt and rocks flying everywhere. Draco covered his eyes for a split second, then opened them again, just in time for him to see a great bundle of flickering lights skidding across the grounds and rising into the air. It must have been a dozen or more memory, destruction and stunning spells bound together. Draco had seen this done before. It was dark magic; as soon as the bound spells came within fifty feet of their target, they'd disband and shoot everywhere within that radius until they wore out. 

Draco let out a curse, swinging his broomstick back around. He hated his father and the Dark Forces. Over the summer, they'd basically enslaved his mother and destroyed Ottery Saint Catchpole. And now they were coming for Hogwarts? He wasn't going to allow them to do anything. That meant getting everyone on the Quidditch Pitch out of their reach. 

"Come on! Get in the castle!" He roared. Harry nodded and leaned forward on his broomstick. He shot forward. 

The bundle suddenly burst, and multicolored spells bounced in different directions. Avrin, Ginny, Blaise, Charles, and Nathan were only feet behind Harry. The younger Gryffindors were a good distance away, but still making good speed. Draco leaned low on his broomstick and rocketed forward. As the roar of the wall of spells grew louder and the whoosh of them added air current, the group of teenagers pushed their brooms faster. They were now flying at a dangerous, breakneck speed. 

The Death Eaters had cast that spell so they couldn't get back to the castle and warn everyone. Memory charms to get rid of their memory of it; stunning charms to enable them to be captured...and destruction charms to get rid of their broomsticks so they'd fall to the ground and be easy to retrieve. 

Ahead of him, the slight thirteen year old, Casey, swerved out of the way of a memory charm. The dark blue light of the _Cremare* _spell suddenly collided with the blond boy's broom. Immediately, the charm began to eat away at the broom tail. In seconds, the back half of his broom was gone. 

"_Bugger!"_ Casey shrieked as he tumbled backwards, all the while cursing himself for not avoiding the blast. He tumbled several feet, before he was hit by a memory charm that knocked him sideways. 

Spinning and flying upside down for a second, Draco dodged another _Cremare_ spell and flew downwards. He grabbed the third year by the wrist. A groan escaped his lips when Casey's dead weight ripped downwards on his arm, wrenching his shoulder. Casey, jerked out of mindless oblivion by the sudden stop of tumbling, he tilted his head upwards and looked at Draco with a dazed expression, blinking in confusion. 

_Great, now I'm turning into Potter._ Draco frowned, silently chiding himself for appearing 'noble' and rescuing Casey from severe injury and Death Eater capture. 

Looking forward to check his distance, Draco suddenly had to jerk his broom sideways. He tightened his grip on Casey's wrist, and let the broom drop slightly, where Casey was somewhat weightless. Then he jerked the boy onto the back of his broom. 

"Hold on!" He shouted over the wind and the noise of the spells. The castle was approaching fast, but he knew that the group wouldn't be able to land and and run inside the castle without getting clobbered. He narrowed his eyes and sped up. If he crashed now, it'd be deadly. 

"Potter! Follow me!" Draco shouted to Harry. Harry, who was looking behind him, nodded in response. He didn't have time to argue or to come up with another plan, so he just accepted the blond boy's help. Draco whipped around, turning left, away from the front gates. He shot towards the huge window over the staircase outside the Great Hall. 

Casey, who was still looking blankly ahead with a small grin, blinked at the window in confusion. Draco let go of the broom with one hand and pushed the thirteen year old's face into his back. 

"Don't move," he whispered menacingly, hoping to scare the boy into listening. Draco gripped his broom handle tightly, leaned slightly lower onto the broom and squeezed his eyes shut. 

Then he plowed through the glass. It made a defeaning, high pitched screech as it shattered. The glass sliced his hands, face and torso. He winced, clenching his teeth. The glass was like fire, burning as it cut him. Casey let out a muffled gasp of pain. Draco's world suddenly was turned upside down; his stomach flipped and his mind reeled. 

Newton's law. For every action there was an equal and opposite reaction. The force of him slamming through the glass had sent his broom careening. Casey instinctively tightened his grip around Draco's waist. Draco opened his eyes but saw the world spinning as he wildly spun across the entrance hall. 

He pulled hard on the handle of his broom, trying to turn it to the left and away from the huge wooden doors that led to the Great Hall. 

"Oh, crap!" he shouted, bracing himself to slam into the thick doors. 

"_Alohamora!_" Blaise shouted. She'd flown in and set down, pulling out her wand. The handles to the doors clicked. Draco's shoulder slammed into the doors, and they flew open, yielding to the force of his impact. 

The Great Hall went silent as Draco's broom shot into the Great Hall then plummeted. Casey went flying, soaring over Draco's head and crashing into the floor. Draco braced his legs, and hit the stone floor, rolling then smashing into a bench full of Hufflepuff first years. 

Harry, Avrin, Ginny, Nathan, Charles and the others streaked into the great hall, still on their brooms. They made a couple loops around the large hall to slow down from their suicidal speed; Ginny even rose up into the mist of the enchanted ceiling for a moment. 

"What is going on here?" silverware clattered onto plates loudly and there was a scraping sound as McGonagall leapt to her feet, her bright eyes burning. When she got no answer, only the sound of rushing air as one of the Gryffindors, Jack, whipped around her, her anger increased. 

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded once more. Harry landed, running slightly before stopping. His legs felt like jelly; he had gotten used to being in the air. His hair was messier than usual and his cheeks were splotched with pink. Nathan set down beside Harry, running his hands through his short black hair. He shuddered slightly; his skin still stung from the cold wind, but his ebony skin showed no indication of it. 

"Death...Eaters on...the grounds..." Harry panted, looking up at McGonagall. She stared at the two boys. Whispers spread like wildfire around the halls. The color drained from McGonagall's face as the others landed behind Nathan and Harry. Her lips thinned and her eyes narrowed. 

"If this is a joke, Mr. Potter--" the Headmistress began, but was cut off when Albus Dumbledore sternly said her name. 

"It's not, m'am, all of us saw it," Ginny piped up, shivering. Dumbledore rose to his feet, gravely staring at all of them. 

"Professor McGonagall, fix the window. Call everyone to the Great Hall. Teachers, guard the entrances. Prefects and Head Students join me, please," the Headmaster was speaking quietly, but his voice carried in the silent hall. 

"Poppy, tend to Mr. Sonner. Mr. Malfoy, however, needs to come with me," Dumbledore continued. Nathan walked over and helped Draco to his feet. Draco stumbled, but straightened himself up and strode proudly into the small room off the Great Hall. His normal look of annoyance, superiority, and sarcastic bemusement had returned. Harry felt his lip curl in hatred and annoyance. 

Ron, Hermione, Blaise, Justin Flench-Fletchly and the other Prefects and Head Students hurriedly crossed the floor, slipping into the room after Draco. Madam Pomfrey rushed across the hall from the high table, pulling Casey up from the floor. The other teachers were rapidly moving to all the entrances; Snape was going to find all the students. Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Neville Longbottom, who was looking distinctly pale. Harry lightly touched his shoulder, and Neville grinned weakly at him. 

The last Prefect crossed the hall, and Harry watched Hermione shut the door to the room, his heart in his throat, still beating rapidly from their mad flight back to safety. 

Well, back to the castle. Harry wasn't sure if anywhere was safe anymore. 

~~~ 

Hermione shut the door, turning to face Dumbledore. The room they were in was small, with a tiny window in the corner that filtered in the red light of the setting sun. A fire was crackling in the small grate. Draco Malfoy was leaning against the wall, standing close to the fire. With the dancing light of the fire and the sunset reflecting on his bloody, pale features, Hermione could suddenly see him as a Death Eater. He'd always appeared angelic, making it hard for Hermione to picture him to be evil. Now he looked like he'd been through a lot, and had no regrets. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat, breaking off Hermione's thoughts. She blushed slightly as Draco caught her gaze. At the pink coloring her cheeks, Draco grinned faintly, looking more sinister. Hermione glared at him, then turned her attention to Dumbledore. 

"I'm going to keep this quick. I've had suspicions for a long time, and even a couple reports from a certain...source...that have implied that they would attempt to take Hogwarts. For now, your jobs are simple. While the teachers patrol the school, older students, fifth year at the youngest, preferably sixth and seventh, take shifts in watching all possible entrances to the Great Hall. The Death Eaters will want the students, it is _vital_ that the Great Hall is guarded well," He gave each of them a piercing look. 

The usual humor and kindness returned to his eyes after a moment. He was thinner, more frail looking. Stress and sorrow filled every line on his ancient face, but he still managed to have the air of a small boy. Hermione couldn't help but smile. 

"Shouldn't we just send someone out after them and kick them off the grounds before they even try to get into the castle?" Ron asked a moment later, shifting his feet nervously. He knew it was far fetched, but the quicker the Death Eaters were gone, the safer Hogwarts...and Hermione and Harry...would be. 

"No, Weasley. There are over fifty of them, where as there are only about seventeen teachers or adult wizards here. It'd be slaughter," Draco said softly, glancing up from the flames and absent mindedly wiped blood from his chin. 

Ron's temper flared. He couldn't stand to be corrected by Draco Malfoy. Hermione put a calming arm on his shoulder, pulling him backwards. 

"Not in front of Dumbledore, Ron!" she hissed in his ear. Ron's ears turned red and he backed down, resorting to glaring in Draco's general direction. 

"What about calling the Ministry for support? I'm sure--" Ron started, before he was cut off. 

"Weasley, use your brain. They would have cut off any means of communication with the Ministry and the Aurors," Draco cut in, looking slightly annoyed with all of Ron's suggestions. 

"Well, you know an awful lot about what they're planning," Ron shot back, accusing without words. Draco's gaze darkened. Dumbledore was watching Draco carefully, his bright blue eyes trained on the pale boy's face. 

"It's common sense. Rule 153 on The Evil Overlord list: 'I will not leave any way of contact with the Rebellion or friends of the hero open, no matter how impossible to get to, because the hero always finds some way to get to it. Therefore, there will be none for him to create an advanced plan to get to. If there is, it will be destroyed or men with orders to kill anyone coming near it will stand by it'." Draco countered. There was a moment of silence as the students gave Draco a strange look. Ron opened his mouth to suggest another plan, and Draco cut him off again. 

"No, Weasley. Let the Slytherins do the planning if it's students that do it at all," He sneered, narrowing his eyes. Ron clenched his teeth, and at the touch of Hermione's hand on his shoulder, he took a deep breath. 

"Will you stop contradicting me?" He asked, sounding rather forced. His eyes were narrowed and he looked like he'd just committed a horrible crime--being polite to Malfoy. Draco grinned again. 

"Yes, Weasley, I will be glad to stop contradicting you once you stop being wrong," He drawled, and Blaise snickered. Dumbledore raised a hand, still looking faintly amused. 

"Come, young people, must we argue? Do I need to remind you that you are all atleast fifteen years of age and therefore too old to be behaving like this? I realize that some of you have...difficulties...with each other. Now is not the time to bring them up and to bicker. Now, more than ever, we need unity and cooperation. I'm not asking for hand-holding and frienship hugs, just civilty," Draco nodded, retreating slightly into the shadows. Ron, whose eye was twitching suspiciously, slowly nodded, unclenching the fists his hands had formed. Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with appreciation. 

"Thank you. Now, let me see, for first duty, let's have Ron, Justin, Blaise, Laurie and Steven. That will be until nine o' clock. Starting at nine, Seamus, Draco, Harry, Hermione, Li, Erick and Susan. All these students are seventh years. If they are not in here, be sure to tell them what they are supposed to do," 

"Alright then," Dumbledore said cheerfully, "lets get going." 

~~~ Darkness came over the grounds, and the first shift came and went without any incident. The students were getting restless; hundreds of games of Exploding Snap and Magic (a muggle card game the Wizards had begun to pick up), they were bored and frightened. Many began to think that the whole thing had been a hoax; the excitement of the broom crash had worn off quickly once they had run out of things to do. 

Draco was sitting at a large window, peering out over the darkened grounds. A temporary, floating platform had been set up to hold the watchmen, so all angles were watched. 

Li, a tall, Oriental Hufflepuff, and Seamus Finnegan, the Irish Gryffindor, were up on the platform with him. Li had her forehead pressed against the glass and it would mist up for a moment every time she breathed. Seamus was sitting on the edge of the platform, swinging his feet gently as he looked out the window. 

There was silence as the doors to the Great Hall creaked open, to reveal Madam Pomfrey. Behind her stood Remus Lupin. 

Seamus's jaw dropped. He hadn't seen the Professor since third year. Lupin was older, his hair was mostly grey with flecks of brown now. His face was thinner, more lined, slightly gaunt looking. He had small, gold-framed glasses and he was limping. 

Draco immediately straightened. In third year he'd been pretty much indifferent about the Professor, but this summer his mother had commented about how Remus had been a wonderful actor, dancer and singer until his 'illness' had caught up with him. He had great respect for anyone involved with Theatre, it was one of his passions. He had been a cultured boy, naturally, but he'd taken a liking to theatre early on. At the end of sixth year, he'd found an old stage and auditorium closed away and been practicing in it ever since, when he had the time. 

"What is he here for?" Li asked curiously, turning around. Draco shrugged. 

"Extra support, probably," Seamus replied, still keeping his gaze trained on the window. Draco frowned. 

_Probably not,_ he thought morbidly, _He's been here for a while, locked up in a private room near the hospital wing. He's drifting towards the end of his rope..._ Lycanthropy dramtically decreased the lifespan of a human. Draco was impressed that the man had lived this long, he was in his late thirties. Somehow, this thought about the Professor's mortality settled uncomfortably, leaving an odd feeling in his stomach. 

"Hello, hello. It's wonderful to see you all again," Remus said to the students who crowded around him. He was smiling, the laugh lines mixed with stress lines around his eyes lighting up. 

Seamus was still gazing out the window. He sighed, looking down. Li turned to look at him, tilting her head to the side. 

"You okay?" she asked, and Seamus shrugged, checking his watch. 

"No, I'm fine...it's just that in an hour and twenty minutes I turn eighteen. This isn't how I imagined my birthday," he sighed again, then grinned, his natural cheeriness returning. 

"But I'll be okay, eh? It's only a birthday," he finalized, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than Li. She gave him a hug, grinning sadly. 

Draco was in an internal struggle. He really, really, _really_ wanted to see Remus do something; but he was also afraid of the response he'd get from fellow Slytherins. He knew time was running out; He'd even seen Black wandering around the Hospital Wing. He also knew that this peace in the Great Hall would not last long. The Death Eaters would wait for the last possible moment, then strike, when everyone would be off guard. 

Finally deciding, Draco stood up and called across the hall. 

"Professor Lupin! A request!" He called, his eyes flickering over the students, checking for reactions. Remus turned and looked up. A small expression of surprise crossed his face. The other students looked wary, wondering what Draco was going to do or say to the Professor. 

"Yes, Mister Malfoy?" Lupin replied, looking perplexed. 

"A performance? Everyone seems to be getting bored, it would be welcome entertainment. Also, I think Seamus over here deserves one, he's turning eighteen," He explained. He found pleasure in the surprised looks on Li and Seamus's faces. Always surprise people, he'd been taught. Do the unexpected. A small smile flickered across Remus's face. 

"A performance? If it is alright with Professor Dumbledore, I could try. It's been a long time since I've sang or acted." The former Professor turned to look at the headmaster, who nodded, his eyes twinkling. Draco didn't miss the fact that he motioned to the teachers to watch even harder. 

Remus crossed the hall, trying to disguise his limp the best he could. He stood up on the raised platform where the head table was. He began to sing occapella, his voice drifting across the hall, clear and beautiful.   
  
Draco listened closely. He really wished he could watch the Professor's facial expression, but this was a vital moment to make sure the Death Eater's didn't move in. 

_"A friendship envelopes_   
_a part of my memory,_   
_a parcel always there to_   
_be opened.___

_The memory of the ways we've_   
_touched_   
_That's the aspect of friendship_   
_that means the most.___

_Knowing you're there in my memory_   
_Knowing you're here in my heart_   
_Knowing you're essence remains with me.___

_A friendship is not as much_   
_about the two people being together_   
_as it is about any little change_   
_that you bring to each other.___

_Any little wisdom, any little 'aha'_   
_or any bit of laughter and joy..."_ __

Remus was taking a breath to continue, when someone screamed. Dark shadows were moving swiftly about the halls, sending icy waves into the air. 

A great black dog bounded across the hall, raising it's hackles and standing in front of Remus. 

Draco's heart had stopped. How had they gotten in? Every where was watched, there had been no glass broken.... 

Quickly his gaze shot to the Slytherin table. Several chairs were empty. 

Before anyone could do anything, a Death Eater leapt onto the head table, bounding towards Dumbledore. 

Seamus let out a cry, and leapt off the platform, bringing two smaller Death Eaters crashing to the ground. Li quickly swished her wand and the platform descended. 

Before he joined the crowd of a thousand screaming, frightened students, Draco saw Dumbledore whisper a spell, blowing Death Eaters away from the students, ignoring the one closest to him. Then he turned to face the wizard. 

The Death Eater drew his wand and pulled off his hood. Malicious grey eyes and soft dark blond hair were staring out of a pale, sharp featured face. Draco let out a scream of rage. 

Dumbledore hissed a spell, but it bounced. Something gold glimmered in Lucius Malfoy's hand, and he shoved it into Dumbledore's chest. 

Dumbledore took the impact surprisingly well, only stumbling a couple steps. He raised his wand again, this time _Avada Kedavra_ on his lips. Lucius was still holding on to the gold object. He jerked his hand sideways, grinning triumphantly. 

A gasp of horror, and all hope suddenly fled from the children's faces as Albus Dumbledore, the only man that could protect them against Voldemort, vanished into thin air. 

~~~ 

A/N: Well that's that! I hope you liked it! This will be, I'm warning you, a very very dark fic. Yes, it will have humor and romance. My goal is to make this as different as I can, to explore the complexities of very character, from Draco, to Remus, to Crabbe, Goyle and Justin Flench-Fletchly and everyone in between. 

This story is dedicated to Barry Nicora Jr, the real life incarnation of Remus Lupin. That song that Remus sings was written by him; it's an unfinished song, with no title. You see, my uncle died of a disase much like Lycanthropy a little over a week ago. He died of pnemounia, which was so deadly because his immune system had been lowered by AIDS. He was only 37 years old. No, this isn't a lecture about being safe or anything, just a memory. He _was_ Remus Lupin, in all respects. Personality, looks, the fact that a disease was slowly eating away at him. He was a performer, basically. 

Okay, enough of that. Please review, ideas are welcome, and if anyone is willing, I **Really need someone to do story art for me.** I'd like a cover, and some illistrations. I would do it, but my artistic talents are very twitchy. Aka, sometimes I can draw, sometimes I can't. Anyway, thanks again. The next chapters will be better, this is only an opening. Ships, you ask? Yes, it won't be land-locked, but no, I'm not going to tell. *grins* 

Sabaye Leyr   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_"Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus"_


	2. I'm Eighteen

I Stand Alone 

Chapter Two:   
I'm Eighteen 

_Lines form on my face and hands_   
_Lines form from the ups and downs_   
_I'm in the middle, without any plans_   
_I'm a boy and I'm a man_

_I've got a baby's brain and an old man's heart_   
_Took eighteen years to get this far...._

_I'm Eighteen, Creed_

_~~_

Draco watched in horror as his father leapt onto the head table, brandishing his wand in the air. Blue, yellow, and red lights flashed through the Great Hall. Unconscious bodies hit the floor, the acrid smell of fire was heavy in his lungs. 

What had happened to Dumbledore? He couldn't believe this was happening. Draco pushed his way through the crowd, his temper bristling at the sight of so many cowardly people. 

"Shut _up!_" he roared at the kids that were crowding around him. Immediately, the small group of them fell silent. His gray eyes flashed and his hand was gripping his wand tightly. 

"_Cowards!_" he hissed, glaring at them. "Don't just stand there!" he narrowed his eyes, and one of the younger students squeaked. Exasperated, Draco turned around and leapt back onto the platform, forcing it to rise into the air. 

"_Stupefy!"_ he shouted, pointing his wand at any hooded figure in the crowd. Hogwarts would not fall to the Dark Forces. It couldn't. 

Lucius had begun to laugh, his eyes twinkling at the sight of the seventh year's weak rebellion. The noise level grew as the younger students joined in; the teachers were shouting curses left and right. 

A high, cold toned laugh slowly began to cut through the noise, like a knife through butter. It grew louder, chilling the hearts of all who heard it. 

"Silence, children, silence," it taunted, echoing around the hall. The silence was unnerving, but it was broken as the huge black dog let out a ferocious growl, leaping onto the head table. It bounded down the table, leaping at Lucius's throat. It's glistening white teeth grazed the man's throat, about to rip it out-- 

"_Inpedimedia,"_ the cold voice said lazily. The dog froze, centimeters away from victory. Lucius grinned again, and pushed the dog off his chest. It hit the ground with a resounding thump. 

In the corner of his eye, Draco saw Harry Potter let out a strangled cry and charge forward. Lupin grabbed his shoulder, pulling him backwards. The teacher's eyes held a cold fury that he didn't think was possible for the kindly actor. 

"Touch the dog, Lucius, and you'll regret it," he hissed, his blue eyes darkening and turning amberish. His wand was raised, and his thin hand gripped Potter's shoulder with surprising strength, holding the boy back. 

Lucius's expression was malicious as he spoke, sharply kicking the dog. 

"You're showing an awful lot of feeling just for a dog, my dear Lupin," he chuckled slightly. "In fact, too much that I began to be suspicious to if it is really a dog at all," he continued. Lupin's eyes widened slightly, and he set his mouth in a firm line. 

The attack of the dog had brought back the rebellion; the teachers were fighting for all they were worth; but the Death Eaters were able to victor over them with the help of the mysterious cold voice. Lucius kept pacing around the frozen dog, taunting Harry and Remus. Soon all the teachers were bound and carelessly strewn about the hall. The rebellion from the younger students was faltering; they'd lost hope. 

Draco tried to help Snape, who had been tied up and tossed into a corner, but the ropes were too strong and not even severing spells could break them. 

"Draco, don't bother, boy. They can only be removed by the person who put them on," Snape explained. His voice was calm and smooth, but his expression was full of hard fury. Draco nodded, and sped off into the crowd towards Lucius. 

All this had happened in less than three or four minutes; the Death Eaters were ruthlessly efficient. 

"I think that this is no dog, but the infamous Sirius Black," Lucius finished, his eyes lighting up with morbid humor. He swished his wand, muttering a spell. The dog let out a howl, beginning to twitch. Then suddenly, it wasn't a dog anymore, but a man with bright blue eyes and longish black hair. 

Sirius Black was sprawled across the floor, Lucius Malfoy's wand pointed at his face. 

"Bugger," Sirius drawled, glaring up at Lucius. "I seem to be in a bad state, don't I?" he asked sarcastically. Lucius's eye twitched and his gaze darkened. 

"Still the same Sirius, still the same. Tell me, how are your friends now? Your little mischief makers? Ah, let me think...I remember now. Laena and Taryn are dead, aren't they? Frank's insane; and Lily and James are dead too. That's your fault, isn't it? If only you'd been brave, if only you hadn't been so blind..." Lucius trailed off, watching Sirius's muscles tighten with anger. 

_Now, _Draco thought. He knew Lucius was absorbed with taunting Black, he wouldn't expect his own son to attack him. 

Draco charged forward, knocking his father aside. Sirius leapt to his feet, and in an instant, was the big black dog again. He bounded off the table and sank his teeth into Lupin's robes, forcefully pulling the professor in the direction of the great wooden entrance doors. He growled ferociously through the fabric at one of the Death Eaters and yanked Lupin into the hallway, the doors clicking shut behind him. 

Draco swung around, already in guard. Lucius had recovered, and was glaring darkly at his son through his dark blond hair. Both of them had their wands pointed at each other. 

The high voice chuckled again, this time sounding even more amused. 

"My dear Malfoys, lets not harm each other! You both are worth more to me alive than dead, I assure you." the voice scolded, and Lucius immediately lowered his wand. 

"Begging my lords' pardon," he said smoothly, and shot another dagger filled glare at his son. "My son will be punished sufficiently for aiding in Black's escape," 

The voice laughed again. 

"Lucius, where would he go? We control the grounds, after all," Draco grinned faintly as the color rose on his father's cheeks; Lucius was embarrassed at being wrong. 

"He's just taking his friend back to the hospital wing. We should fear nothing from either of them. Lupin is dying; Black will soon loose his spirit once he's gone. He'll be the last one of their little group living, won't he, Wormtail?" There was a shaking, squeaky "yes" in reply. 

Lord Voldemort stepped out from between two hulking figures in black; a tall and willowy figure; a ghostly, unnatural thing amongst the living. He pulled his hood off, and smiled maliciously at the ripple of horror that passed through the hall. He took a deep, mocking breath, faking a look of nostalgia. 

"Hogwarts! It's been so long since I've been here. So very, very long. It's mine now, just like I said it would be," he was gliding across the stone floor, stopping in front of the teachers. 

"Professor Flitwick, I haven't seen you for years. I trust that you have been doing well? The same with you, McGonagall...Trelawny, for you see what I've become. But, that has all changed. You once taught me, and now you've taught me again; I know what you'll try, so I suggest you don't. These children really don't need to see death, now do they?" he chuckled, then turned to face the room. 

"Children! Lucius here shall explain to you the new rules and the new concequences. Sleep tight!" he mocked, laughing again. Then he strode across the floor and vanished through the doors. Several of the Death Eaters began to drag the teachers' bodies across the hall and towards Dumbledore's office. Draco stepped back, eyes glaring daggers at Lucius. 

"The new rules are fairly simple," Lucius drawled, addressing everyone. "You are to be in your Dorms by six o clock sharp. No visits to Hogsmeade, obviously. No associating with other houses, ie, no Gryffindors entering Slytherin quarters, ect. Classes will continue, although Defense Against the Dark Arts will be canceled. You will now be taught by one of us, as your teachers are being held elsewhere. The concequences are severe; try to escape, you could get killed in an.._.accident..._those out after curfew will be brought before me or Lord Voldemort, and their punishment shall be decided then. Very well! All of you, have a good night. Be up bright and early tomorrow for breakfast," Lucius grinned nastily, bowing slightly. 

Draco's shoulders were tight with rage. He'd failed; they had Hogwarts. He shuffled across the hall, and several thoughts crossed his mind. 

_Maybe I'll end up working with Potter and his friends anyway._

_ ...Damn it all._

~~~ Sirius Black closed the wooden door and flipped on the lock with one of his paws. Then, in a split second, he was a man again. He shook his dark hair out of his eyes, and once he was sure the door was secure, he turned to face Lupin. 

Lupin was sitting against the wall, staring at his hands as they sat in his lap. Moonlight from the high tower window filtered onto Remus's lined and gaunt face. The once round and smiling face held more than laugh lines now. The moonlight defined the gray in the man's light brown hair, and brought out the amber flecks in his eyes as they reflected the light like a wolf's eyes. He looked mesmorized by his hands, staring hard at them. His brow was furrowed and he was biting the inside of his lip. Sirius blinked. 

"They shouldn't be able to find us here," Sirius assured, but got no reply. He stepped away from the door, closer to Remus, who had lifted his hands and was moving them around in the moonlight. This caused the light to dance off the dusting of silver hair across his hands. His eyes rose to the moon, and even behind the gold framed glasses, Sirius could see them darken from blue to amber. 

Remus angrily hit the floor with his hands, and almost immediately his eyes shifted back to their normal color. Sirius blinked again, his eyebrows knit together and his expression questioning. He shifted his gaze and peered out the small window. The moon was only a tiny cresent in the sky. 

"I'm transforming before the full moon," Remus whispered, raising his hands and showing them to Sirius. His gaze locked with Sirius's, who was frantically searching for an appropriate answer. Remus's eyes were sad, apologetic and hopeless. 

Sirius shook his head violently, his eyes growing wide. 

"It's nothing! You're just a little hairier than usual. It might be left over from last month,"he said firmly. Remus smiled sadly, slowly shaking his head. 

"Yeah, sure," he replied softly, looking back down at his hands, his pale cheeks coloring slightly. Sirius took another couple of steps forward and slid down the wall, sitting down beside Remus. 

"You're going to be fine; Madam Pomfrey will have you fixed up in no time. She's always been able to find cures and such," Sirius continued cheerfully, pushing his hair out of his eyes again. 

"Sirius," Remus said firmly. The tone of his voice forced Sirius to look at him, right into his eyes again. Forced him to see the emotions he didn't want to see or believe. 

The moon was glinting off Remus's new gold rimmed glasses, and his eyes glittered, halfway reflecting the light. Sirius found he couldn't pull his gaze off of his best friend as he began to speak in a slightly edged voice. 

"It's hard for me to breathe. I can barely sing. I can't dance anymore, because of the clotting in my legs that makes my feet swell. I can barely see anymore and I have to wear glasses, not to mention I'm tired all the time," his eyes were cutting into Sirius, who still couldn't look away. 

Sirius's chin raised slightly; his eyes were defiant and his mouth was set in a thin, firm line. Remus knew that expression all too well; he'd seen it thousands of times. It meant that Sirius wasn't going to listen to him. 

"Madam Pomfrey seems hopeful," Sirius said stubbornly, though his voice had lost some of its' confidence. 

"She's lying, Sirius! I've already lived longer than most Lycanthropes. You know that, and she knows that. Why won't you accept it? You're only making it worse for yourself. I can't stand it when you do this! You always deny things that hurt you, like the fact that Laena was dead, that Taryn wasn't coming home, or that Aron was a spy; It only makes endings more painful than they should be, crushing your hopes and beliefs! Crushing that little part of you that believes that maybe something higher exists and that it wouldn't allow so many horrible things to happen to one group of people; _our_ group of friends," Remus pushed himself to his feet, then swung around to face Sirius, hesitating a split second before continuing. 

"I'm dying, Sirius. I can't perform anymore and they won't allow me to be an Auror. I won't be able to see Harry graduate, to see Voldemort fall once and for all. And, sod it all, I won't be able to stay with you. I'm sorry, Sirius, I'm so sorry..." his hands had begun to tremble and he was pacing around the small room, face flushed. Sirius stared unbelievingly at his best friend. 

"Remus--" Sirius began, but Remus cut him off. 

"Sirius, no, please, don't. Just accept it, it will make it easier. I'm sorry," his voice sank to a whisper at the last part of the sentence. He looked out the window and tried to catch his breath after the outbursts. He staggered slightly, then leaned against the wall, chest heaving. 

Sirius leapt to his feet and was by Remus's side in an instant. 

Remus rested his forehead against the cold castle wall, hacking painfully, his face flushing even darker. Once he quieted, Sirius turned Remus so he was facing him. 

"I would never, ever count Lycanthropy against you. You don't ever have to apologize for it again, you hear me? It's not your fault, I don't blame you at all," Sirius said softly, searching the smaller man's eyes for the carefree, sweet, studious boy he'd known forever. Remus stared into his eyes for a second, then looked down. 

Remus clutched onto Sirius's shirt, burying his face into Sirius's shoulder. 

And he cried. He cried while Sirius held him, cried for seventeen years worth of pain. The pain of Sirius's arrest; Peter's betrayel; Aron's betrayel; James, Lily, Laena, and Taryn's deaths. Frank and his wife's insanity. Lost and cold Narcissa. And his own impending death. 

Sirius held Remus tightly, running his hand through the soft, silvering hair. 

"It'll be okay," he whispered in the werewolf's ear, and like years before, Remus believed him. 

Remus didn't see the tears that fell from Sirius's bright eyes. 

~~~ The Gryffindor Common Room was silent. Dean Thomas sat in the corner, holding his guitar in his lap, but not touching a string. Hermione was curled up in one of the large, squishy chairs with a book, but she wasn't reading it. Ron was pacing around angrily, kicking at the scarlet carpet. Seamus was nursing numerous bruises from his leap off the platform. The silence was becoming unnerving; it was a rare occurance in the Gryffindor common room. 

Seamus let the ice pack he held drop onto the floor. 

"Well, this has been a crappy birthday for me," he said meekly. One of the fifth years giggled nervously. Silence reigned again. Dean fiddled with his guitar pick, not daring to play; Harry merely watched everyone listlessly. 

Ron suddenly looked up from his carpet abusing spree, his bright eyes narrowed. Harry, Seamus and Dean looked over at the redhead's sudden lack of movement. 

"What is it?" Harry asked, but Ron didn't reply instantly. His eyes narrowed more and he looked up at the ceiling. Dean was now looking at him strangely. 

"Do you hear that?" Ron finally replied, answering the question with a question. Harry stared at him, joining Dean and Seamus in giving him a strange look. He shook his head slowly, eyebrows raised. Ron turned to face them, and his expression went slack and questioning, as if he was saying 'What did I do?!' 

"I repeat what you told me back in second year: 'Hearing voices that no one else can is not a good sign, not even in the wizarding world'," Harry snickered, grinning slightly. Ron scowled as Dean laughed into his hand. 

"You're just jealous they're not talking to you any more. They like me better," Ron shot back. Dean laughed louder, the sound echoing strangely in the quiet room. 

"Nah, it's not just Ron," Seamus suddenly commented, and Ron's expression brightened considerably. 

Seamus was right. Now they could hear voices. They were coming from way up above. A confused common room looked up just in time to see people fall from the ceiling, landing with a crash on the couches and the floor. Needless to say, there were many expletives coming from that corner. 

"What the hell!?" Dean shouted, jumping up. 

About seven students sat up, and among them was Ginny Weasley. Ron gaped at his little sister. Avrin, who'd been on the other side of the common room with Colin, blinked. 

"I concur with Dean. What the _hell?" _he inquired of Ginny, who grinned sheepishly. Behind her sat three Hufflepuffs (Susan Bones, Justin Flench-Fletchly and Hannah Abbot) and three Ravenclaws (Russ Newman, Mary Beth Steven and Kiyoshi Linn). 

"Muggle thing. We came through the ceiling; the pipes and such. I remembered Ryan talking about how they'd done that to get into the band room when it was locked, so I thought I'd try it," Ginny explained. Ryan was a muggle boy from the village by the Burrow. She and Ron had spent much of the summer with him, since Percy was at the Ministry, Bill and Charlie were gone, and the twins had moved to Hogsmeade. 

"We figured we could work out some plan if we could get together without them knowing. I seriously doubt they thought of non-magical secret passages or ceiling tiles," Kiyoshi, the dark skinned oriental Ravenclaw commented, climbing to his feet. 

"Ginny, this is great!" Harry exclaimed, and Ginny blushed brightly. 

"Aren't we missing someone?" Seamus asked her, cocking his head to the side slightly. Ginny looked back at him, slightly confused. 

"What?" she replied, taking the hand that Kiyoshi gave her to help her climb back to her feet.   
  
"The Slytherins aren't here," Hermione observed, answering Ginny for Seamus. Ron scowled. 

"Of course they're not here! They probably helped the Death Eaters get in!" Ron snapped. Seamus glared slightly at him. 

"I dunno--Malfoy and that Zabini looked pretty angry. Especially Malfoy. I think we should get him here, too. We need all the help we can get." Seamus annouced, and was met with dead silence. 

"I agree," Russ Newman said suddenly, turning to look at Seamus. He was a tall seventh year, with bright green-blue eyes and long dark hair. Hermione slowly nodded, knowing Ron wouldn't like her response. 

"Why? Why him?" Ron asked angrily, shaking his head violently. He would not have that filth set foot in this tower, and he would not let him know their plans. 

"Because he's sexy and I think he'd add to the decor here," Hermione snapped, rolling her eyes. Ron blanched. 

"What?" he exclaimed, staring at his girlfriend. 

"Sarcasm, Ron, I was being sarcastic. Seamus is right. Malfoy did fight against his father and help Sirius," she pointed out, and Ron's shoulders slumped. He mumbled something incoherently, frowning deeply. 

"What was that, Ron?" Harry asked, a smile tugging at his lips. 

"I said 'Go ahead and get the bastard'. But if he even hints that he's gonna sell us out, I'm tossing him out the window." Ron said firmly, looking completely disguisted. 

"Not now," Ginny said quietly, and they stared at her. "It's too late to get him tonight. I don't fancy getting caught. Let's just work at something now, and get the Slytherins later." she reasoned. Hermione nodded again.   
  
"What can we possibly do? I'm sure the Ministry knows something's up by now," Susan said, sitting down on one of the couches. 

There was a loud knock on the Portriat. Everyone froze like deer in headlights. 

"Bugger!" Ron hissed as Russ and Kiyoshi dived behind a couch. Susan and Mary Beth rushed up the stairs towards the boys dormitories, not knowing where they were going but hoping there was somewhere to hide. Hannah hurried behind another couch. 

"Justin! Lay down on the couch, facedown," Harry whispered, and quickly borrowed a blanket from one of the first years who had been curled up with it on the other side of the common room, looking out the big picture window. He covered Justin with it, then unceremoniously sat on him. 

"Uck!" Justin shouted, the first part of the word muffled by the couch. Harry could guess what he had said, and shushed him. 

"Open up!" the person on the other side of the Portriat shouted, pounding on it again. Ron gulped and moved to the Portriat so it opened to let him out. When it did, two black cloaked figures climbed into the room. The Portriat swung shut behind them. 

The cloaked figures surveyed the room full of silent, scared teenagers. One of them shuddered, and the other elbowed him. 

Ron shared a strange look with Harry as he protectively moved in front of Hermione. 

"We've come to check your common room for visitors," one said gruffly, smiling under his hood. 

"Get out! No one's here," Ginny hissed, glaring at them. 

"We decide when we leave, young lady, so watch your tongue," the taller one spat. Ginny shrunk back slightly; she could feel his glare even through the fabric of his cloak. 

"I have a couple questions for you," the taller Death Eater continued, crossing his arms. Seamus and Dean shared a panicked glance. Dean silently told himself that if this went horribly wrong to sacrifice his guitar and whack one of them over the head with it. 

"Firstly, why the hell is Harry sitting on someone?" the tall Death Eater exclaimed. "Don't tell me you've all given up hope and are going for an 'end of the world' orgy," The Death Eater snickered, and started to laugh. 

Harry suddenly leapt off the couch and tackled the Death Eater. There were gasps from several of the younger students. 

"Sirius, you pillock!" he cried, yanking the hood off of his Godfather's head. Sirius was still laughing. Remus Lupin pulled his hood down; his eyes were shining with humor. 

"Use your brain, abstain!" Sirius continued, snickering at Harry and bringing up an old sex education class motto. Hermione frowned goodnaturedly and pushed Ron out from in front of her. 

"I'd be careful, Sirius, he could say 'pet your dog, not your date," Remus shot back, walking over and pulling Harry off of Sirius. Sirius scowled. 

"No, I'm serious now--" Sirius said as he climbed to his feet, brushing off his robes. 

"Of course you're Sirius," Remus grinned as Sirius glared at him. 

"No, really, why are you sitting on someone? You all are terrible pranksters, you'd have been dead meat if we'd really been Death Eaters." Sirius said, the humorous gleam in his eyes gone. 

Justin Flinch-Fletchly sat up and threw the blanket off himself, glaring darkly and fixing his hair. 

Hannah, Russ, and Kiyoshi stood up from behind their couches, looking relieved that it was only Sirius. The students had gotten used to him being around; his name had been cleared the summer after Harry's sixth year. Dean rushed up the spiral staircase and brought Susan and Mary Beth back down to the common room. 

"Erm, we were hiding him..." Harry trailed off, looking sheepish. Sirius rolled his eyes. 

"Have I taught you nothing? Anyway, we came because we knew you'd have some sort of 'Let's Save The World' rally in here," Sirius explained. Harry frowned. 

"Okay, then, why'd you risk coming here? We can figure something out on our own, you know," he said, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms, still frowning. 

"Why'd I risk coming here? To stop you, because everytime something like this comes up you go off and do something dangerous and stupid and almost die," Sirius pointed out. 

"I have enough problems with dealing with others' health without you going off and being a prat," Sirius continued, reaching out and squeezing Harry's shoulder. Remus seemed to diminush somewhat at that comment, looking slighly guilty. 

"We have a plan, and we thought we'd share it with you," Remus said quietly, walking over and sitting down on the couch next to Justin. His cheeks looked rather flushed. 

Sirius shot him a concerned look, but Remus waved him off, giving him a meaningful glare. 

"What Voldemort wants is the students, right?" Sirius said, looking around at the teenagers that were now moving in closer to form a circle around him and Harry. 

"Us, and Dumbledore, but he already got him," Ron confirmed, biting his lower lip. Silence reigned for a moment. 

"Don't worry, Ron, Dumbledore'll be back. He'd never abandon Hogwarts," Remus commented, but Ron still looked doubtful. How did Remus know if Dumbledore was even still alive? 

"There are too many students here to get them all out. What I say we do is get the first, second and third years out--they can't really defend themselves. That would take away helpless targets for the Death Eaters to slaughter. Then we can put up a resistance here," Sirius explained. 

"But they'll kill anyone who tries to escape," Hermione piped up, and Remus nodded. 

"We know that. That's why Sirius and I and one of the students will lead them into the Forbidden Forest. A group will free Hagrid, and he'll get them off campus by the way of the forest. The rest of you will have to create a diversion. I suggest you talk to Mr. Malfoy about that," Remus commented, his eyes twinkling at Ron's dark expression. 

"What about the teachers?" Hermione spoke again, her brow furrowed as she thought through their plan. 

"They can take care of themselves for now, I assure you," Sirius told her. "Remus and I will stay in the common room tonight, then I'll go and speak to Hagrid tomorrow. " 

"I must ask none of you to do anything tomorrow or tomorrow night. Cooperate with them for now, and speak to the Slytherins. They're not all bad." Remus said firmly, his mouth in a thin line as he looked around the room. 

The Ravenclaws readily agreed to get the help of the Slytherins--they were the universally popular house and they really had no problem with the Slytherins. The Hufflepuffs agreed after some persuasion from the Ravenclaws, but it took quite a while before the Gryffindors grugingly agreed to truce with the Slytherins. 

"Alright then, back to your houses," Remus ordered, conjuring up a ladder that reached to the ceiling. Once the six seveth years had gone through the hole in the ceiling, he repaired it. 

"All of you, to bed, now," Sirius told them. The common room quickly emptied out, all realizing how tired they were. With the thoughts of escape and victory in their heads, they should have no trouble falling asleep. 

Remus waved his wand again, and the ladder vanished. He sighed, and turned to look at Sirius, who was inspecting the blanket that had been used to cover Justin. 

"This should cover you well enough," he commented. Remus smiled slightly. 

"It'll cover us both well enough," he corrected, and Sirius chuckled. He pulled one of the couches close to the fire, and stretched out on it. Remus, now that the children were gone, didn't disguise it anymore and limped over to the other end of the couch, wincing slightly as he sat down. 

"Blood clots again?" Sirius asked, and Remus nodded slightly. As Remus pulled his legs onto the couch, setting them next to Sirius's, Sirius leaned forward and pulled off Remus's glasses. Remus smiled broadly. 

"Thank you for treating me like a decript, senile old man," he deadpanned, and Sirius grinned. 

"No problem, Moony." he replied as he tossed Remus his end of the blanket. Sirius turned onto his side and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. 

At the other end of the couch, Remus was staring at the ceiling, watching the firelight dance across the scarlet paintings. 

"Sirius?" 

"Yeah?" 

"You keep yourself safe tomorrow. I don't think I could take being the last Marauder again," Remus said softly, shifting his gaze to look at Sirius. The dark haired man's face was blurry, but Remus could still make out his expression. 

"I will, I promise," he said firmly. Remus's next smile was bittersweet. Then he closed his eyes and went to sleep. 

~~~ Draco was storming bad naturedly around the Slytherin common room, taking his rage out on various different inatimate objects. 

Blaise was watching him with slight amusement, playing with her long auburn hair. 

"You're really not accomplishing anything," she commented, and Draco didn't reply, but he did stop kicking the highbacked chair by the fire. There was a moments silence. 

"Think Harry bloody Potter already has a plan worked out?" Draco asked, scowling and dropping down into a chair. Blaise shrugged. 

"Probably," she replied, dropping the lock of her hair and looking at him. 

"Well, he better be ready to share it with me," Draco snarled, his anger returning. Blaise's dark eyes widened. 

"Because I'll do anything to get my father out of this castle," he explained, and Blaise nodded. They'd known each other since they were small children. Blaise stood up and sat down on the arm of Draco's chair. 

"Your father has her here," she told him softly, and Draco turned to look up at her, his gray eyes stormy. 

"He does?" he demanded of her, and Blaise nodded. 

"Bugger," he said, slamming his fist onto the chair arm that Blaise wasn't occupying. Then he began to curse. Long and loud. 

"Well, that's an interesting thing to do to a Quaffle," she deadpanned, moving back to the couch she'd been on earlier. Draco ignored her. 

"Who here is not loyal to Voldemort?" Draco asked her. He was almost sure he knew who was and wasn't and who didn't give a rats ass, but it was always smart to have a second opinion. 

"Why are you asking me?" Blaise exclaimed incrediously, and Draco glared at her. 

"Rule number twelve on the Evil Overlord List: 'One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation'. I don't have a five year old child, and you're the closest to one here, so I figured I'd ask you," Draco drawled, smirking at her. 

"You live your life by that bloody list, don't you?" Blaise said, ignoring the insult. 

"You should see the Malfoy rule book. If you did, you'd find another list to go by too," he told her, turning to face the fire. "Are you ever going to answer me?" 

"I really don't know. Everyone's been real careful about talking about their allegiances," she said truthfully. 

"Well then, I'll just have to find out myself, then rob Potter of the glory of saving the day. It's my turn this time," he said as he rose regally from his chair and swept down the staircase to his dorm. 

Blaise watched him go, shaking her head. He was very off-putting. And arrogant. And sarcastic. She didn't even know why she put up with him. 

But she'd follow him to the ends of the Earth, and that was about the only thing she was sure of. 

~~~ A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this up! I hope you enjoyed it. 

Some of you are probably wondering why Sirius is so cheerful- it's my opinion that he's the kind of character that only lets people he's really close to know that he's having problems or not happy. To everyone else he keeps up his playful illusion. 

The next chapter's coming soon, and thank's for reading! 

~Sabaye   
  
  
  
  



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